


the picture

by alohacowboy



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Domestic Fluff, Gen, M/M, OT4 Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:48:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28138704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alohacowboy/pseuds/alohacowboy
Summary: Arthur crouches on the edge of the roof, just a hair's breadth away from the gutter with an ice pick in one hand. In the past few days, Arthur has tightened every leaky faucet, repaired the creaky heating vent, and oiled the door hinges on every door twice.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 49





	the picture

'Arthur, I don’t think this is a good idea.'

'Shut up, Merlin.'

'Arthur, this is a terrible idea.'

'I said _shut up_ , Merlin.'

Arthur crouches on the edge of the roof, just a hair's breadth away from the gutter with an ice pick in one hand. In the past few days, Arthur has tightened every leaky faucet, repaired the creaky heating vent, and oiled the door hinges on every door twice. There is so much he can do to fix up the house, and he’s throwing his back into it more than ever. The point at which _Morgana_ starts accusing him of being obsessive is about when he decides to climb up to the roof. Those icicles could cause some serious damage after all.

He’s teetering on the edge with nothing holding him back except a grip on the gutter and a dare that the universe won’t let him fall. Slowly, painstakingly, he leans over the edge and starts hacking at the thick icicles hanging off the rim. They fall and shatter on the ground below.

'Arthur, please come down,' Merlin calls up plaintively, standing in the front lawn with a Santa hat perched on his head that Gwen had kept shoving over his ears until he finally stopped taking it off. 'You’re going to fall.'

'I’m not going to fall,' Arthur growls, grinning in triumph as yet another massive chunk of ice goes sliding to the ground. 'I’ve got the balance of a snow leopard.'

'Yes, Arthur,' Merlin says patiently. 'But you are standing on a slippery roof, not bounding through a tundra.'

'Hey, you two,' Morgana steps outside wearing a seriously ugly Christmas sweater, 'it's picture time.'

Arthur groans. 'Not now, Morgana. I’m working.'

Morgana takes one look at his situation and crosses her arms. 'Well, that’s just pointless and dangerous. Stupid goes without saying.'

'Yes, well so’s that Christmas card,' Arthur grumbles, chopping at an icicle with extra gusto.

'It’s our first holiday in this new house,' Gwen calls out from behind Morgana, 'it’ll be the start of a tradition.'

'You mean you want to do that every year? I don’t think so,' Arthur grumbles. 'If we’re going to start getting into the habit of anything, let’s make it something useful. Like clearing the ice off the roof before the gutters crack.'

Morgana rolls her eyes.

'Gwen and I will try and find the camera,' she says, shooting a look at Merlin. 'Try and get him down from there by the time I get back.'

'Don’t you dare try and get me down from here,' Arthur warns, brandishing a broken-off icicle despite the fact that he's got a much more dangerous ice pick in his other hand. Merlin raises his palms defensively and keeps his feet firmly rooted in the snow. Arthur nods his approval and turns his attention back to his work.

Merlin has been all into making new friends, inviting their neighbors over, dragging Arthur to parties, and now agreeing with Gwen and Morgana to send out some stupid Christmas card. Personally Arthur is happy enough just keeping to himself but what can he do when he's outnumbered.

'If you come down we can have hot chocolate,' Merlin is saying, his head tilted back to watch Arthur work. 'There may even be cream and marshmallows included.'

'Bribery, Merlin?' Arthur says good-naturedly.

Merlin simply smiles cheerfully up at him. 

'No way am I coming down anytime soon, Merlin,' Arthur grins, watching the ice smash on the ground below. 'I'm safe from Morgana and Gwen's machinations to pose us in the most humilating way possible for that stupid card of theirs.' The last icicle looms just a half a foot out of his reach. He shuffles forward, his muscles straining to keep him in balance. 'Almost there,' he murmurs, the ice just inches from his fingertips.

'Arthur!' A split second after he hears Merlin's cry Arthur feels the gutter buckle under the toe of his shoe, and with a stomach-twisting slip he’s suddenly in freefall. For a split second the world is a tilt-a-whirl and then suddenly he finds his descent slowing and he's caught by something strong and warm. He turns to see Merlin's face a half-foot away from his, so close he could— well.

'Arthur. Are you alright?' Merlin's entire face is scrunched up in worry, and it’s right about then that Arthur realizes that Merlin is holding him bridal style, and while he guesses that avoiding potentially life-threatening falls is an acceptable circumstance for that kind of thing, he’s pretty sure he can still scrape up enough dignity to be worth preserving.

Arthur is just about to suggest that they carry on this conversation in a more dignified position, when there’s a flash of light, and he looks over to see Gwen standing in the doorway, holding up the camera with the biggest grin Arthur has ever seen on her face.

'Oh yeah,' she says. ' _That’s_ going on the card.'

'Don’t you dare!' Arthur growls, struggling out of Merlin's arms and tearing off after Gwen as she disappears back into the house. 'You delete that picture right now, _Guinevere_! I mean it!”

'Not a chance, Arthur!'

**Author's Note:**

> although, i like that the show gave us both, this fic is my answer to that age-old question 'fireman carry or bridal carry??¿¿?¿?'- if you disagree lemme know why *chinhands*


End file.
